Steeped in the visual language of myth and dreams, the hallucinatory films of the late, great Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics are unforgettable classics of global cinema. For one, they distinctively merge a graphically bold, psychedelic style with Central European myth, poetry, and legend, memorably threading together a region’s ancient stories into a rich tapestry of line and color. Over the course of a career spanning six decades, Jankovics worked on over 100 films, many of them pioneering experiments in animation styles and often voted as some of the best animated films in the world. Despite this, he remains—at least outside of Hungary—relatively underappreciated.
Jankovics’s debut feature Johnny Corncob (1973) is a psychotronic reworking of a traditional Hungarian folk tale, which made history as the country’s first animated feature film. An acid-tinged phantasmagoria that is both of its time and completely transcends it, this kaleidoscopic take on an epic poem  by Sándor Petőfi was commissioned to mark the 150th anniversary of the poet’s birth. A beloved political revolutionary, Petőfi is considered by many Hungary’s national poet, and Johnny Corncob is a loving rendition of his classic 19th-century work. This double bill pairs it with Jankovics’s masterpiece, Son of the White Mare (1981), an epic fantasy quest between good and evil in psychedelic colors. Directed, animated, and storyboarded by the director himself, this was his second feature and his most successful internationally. Subject to a recent 4K restoration and re-release, it is presented here in all its sinuous, equine glory.

Steeped in the visual language of myth and dreams, the hallucinatory films of the late, great Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics are unforgettable classics of global cinema. For one, they distinctively merge a graphically bold, psychedelic style with Central European myth, poetry, and legend, memorably threading together a region&#8217;s ancient stories into a rich tapestry of line and color. Over the course of a career spanning six decades, Jankovics worked on over 100 films, many of them pioneering experiments in animation styles and often voted as some of the best animated films in the world. Despite this, he remains&#8212;at least outside of Hungary&#8212;relatively underappreciated.
Jankovics&#8217;s debut feature Johnny Corncob (1973) is a psychotronic reworking of a traditional Hungarian folk tale, which made history as the country&#8217;s first animated feature film. An acid-tinged phantasmagoria that is both of its time and completely transcends it, this kaleidoscopic take on an epic poem by Sándor Petőfi was commissioned to mark the 150th anniversary of the poet&#8217;s birth. A beloved political revolutionary, Petőfi is considered by many Hungary&#8217;s national poet, and Johnny Corncob is a loving rendition of his classic 19th-century work. This double bill pairs it with Jankovics&#8217;s masterpiece, Son of the White Mare (1981), an epic fantasy quest between good and evil in psychedelic colors. Directed, animated, and storyboarded by the director himself, this was his second feature and his most successful internationally. Subject to a recent 4K restoration and re-release, it is presented here in all its sinuous, equine glory.

Beyond the Yellow Submarine:  Marcell Jankovics' Psychedelic Animations

BEYOND THE YELLOW SUBMARINE:  MARCELL JANKOVICS' PSYCHEDELIC ANIMATIONS

Steeped in the visual language of myth and dreams, the hallucinatory films of the late, great Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics are unforgettable classics. These graphically bold and psychedelic reworkings of Central European myths and legend pioneered developments in global animation.

Steeped in the visual language of myth and dreams, the hallucinatory films of the late, great Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics are unforgettable classics. These graphically bold and psychedelic reworkings of Central European myths and legend pioneered developments in global animation.